Body Contouring: Achieve Your Best Body

Change the Way You Look

By Hannah Willis

Body Contouring

Photo by The Art Medispa

It’s no surprise women (and men) constantly struggle with their appearance. We work hard to eat right and exercise regularly to be healthy, but to also achieve the ideal body we've always wanted. But what happens once you’ve lost the weight, but you’re still unsatisfied with the way you look? Well, there is this relatively new medical subspecialty called body contouring which eliminates and/or reduces the excess saggy skin and fat in a variety of places, specifically the torso, upper arms, chest, and thighs. The result is a more defined figure with smoother overall contours. Body contouring remains one of the most common cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the United States.

There are several non-invasive body contouring options that remove excess fat, such as Cryolipolysis, low-level laser therapy, ultrasound, and radiofrequency. Cryolipolysis is the cooling of subcutaneous fat cells, which induces lipolysis and the breaking down of the fat cells without damaging any of the surrounding tissues or the skin. Low level laser therapy, on the other hand, emits cold laser energy into body tissues that are absorbed by fat cells, which are broken down and absorbed into the body. Low level laser therapy has been FDA approved. Ultrasound body contouring uses high-intensity, focused sound waves to disrupt fat calls, causing them to dissolve gradually over time and is also FDA approved. Radiofrequency delivers controlled energy to excess fat areas, creating heat deep within fat cells and subsequently destroying them.

Good body contouring candidates are adults whose weight loss has stabilized, healthy individuals without medical conditions that impair healing or increase risk of surgery, non-smokers, individuals who are committed to leading a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition and fitness, and people with realistic body goals. The benefit of body contouring is that it is less invasive than other fat-dissolving procedures such as liposuction, and it's able to give you that ideal figure you’ve always wanted.

J. Peter Rubin, MD, director of the Life After Weight Loss Surgery Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said, “People who lose 100 pounds or more feel healthier, they know they are healthier, they can do things they could not do before. But when they look at their body, it's a constant reminder of where they were––and it can sometimes make it difficult to move on with their [lives].” If you or someone you know can relate, then it’s time to consider body contouring as an alternative possibility.

“Cryolipolysis is a promising procedure for nonsurgical fat reduction and body contouring presents a compelling alternative to liposuction and other, more invasive methods. This procedure appears to be safe in the short term, with a limited side effect profile, and results in significant fat reduction when used for localized adiposities.”

Both these studies point to the safety and efficacy of body contouring as opposed to more drastic and invasive procedures which are more likely to have damaging side affects.

Another study by Nils Krueger, Sophia V Mai, Stefanie Luebberding, and Neil S Sadick point to overall patient satisfaction after partaking in cryolipolysis. In their study titled Cryolipolysis for Noninvasive Body Contouring: Clinical Efficacy and Patient Satisfaction, they state:

“In recent years, a number of modalities have become available for the noninvasive reduction of adipose tissue, including cryolipolysis, radio frequency, low-level laser, and high-intensity focused ultrasound. Each technology employs a different mechanism of action to cause apoptosis or necrosis of the targeted adipocytes.”

The study also notes that “the principle behind cryolipolysis exploits the premise that adipocytes are more susceptible to cooling than other skin cells. The precise application of cold temperatures triggers apoptosis of the adipocytes, which invokes an inflammatory response and leads to slow digestion by surrounding macrophages."

The technology practically freezes away problem fat cells and is able to give you your body back. Whether it be slimming a double chin or targeting those love handles, body contouring might be a great solution for those problem areas.

Furthermore, their study mentions that in other clinical studies, “cryolipolysis was shown to reduce subcutaneous fat at the treatment site by up to 25% after one treatment. Improvements were seen in 86% of treated subjects. At 73%, the patient satisfaction rate is higher than with other technologies used for noninvasive lipolysis. Cryolipolysis has been proven to be a very safe method for body contouring, and is accomplished with only minimal discomfort.”

Please consult with a doctor to see if body contouring is right for you.